Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2011 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version Filed 02/19/2019

                            86R13627 TYPED
 By: Geren H.B. No. 2011


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the affordability of electric power for certain public
 retail customers.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 182.022, Tax Code, is amended by adding
 Subsection (d) to read as follows:
 (d)  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, a
 tax under this chapter may not be imposed on the gross receipts from
 the sale of electricity to a public retail customer as defined by
 section 35.101, Utilities Code.
 SECTION 2.  Section 35.102, Utilities Code, is amended by
 adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
 (c)  In selling or otherwise conveying electric power under
 this section, the General Land Office letterhead, seal, or other
 marketing materials may only be used by a person employed by the
 General Land Office. For the purposes of this section, an employee
 of an entity with which the General Land Office contracts is not
 considered to be employed by the General Land Office.
 SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 35, Utilities Code, is
 amended by adding Section 35.1025 to read as follows:
 Sec. 35.1025.  PUBLIC BID TO SELL POWER TO PUBLIC RETAIL
 CUSTOMERS. (a) The commissioner may not sell or otherwise convey
 power to a public retail customer unless the commissioner submits a
 public bid in response to a request for proposal in which bids are
 solicited from multiple power providers to provide power to the
 public retail customer.
 (b)  A bid submitted by the commissioner to provide power to
 a public retail customer is subject to disclosure under Chapter
 552, Government Code.
 SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act does not
 affect taxes imposed before the effective date of this Act, and the
 law in effect before the effective date of this Act is continued in
 effect for purposes of the liability for and collection of those
 taxes.
 SECTION 5.  (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
 date of this Act, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, for an
 electric utility regulated under Chapter 36, Utilities Code, shall
 provide for the adjustment of the electric utility's billing of a
 public school district customer to reflect any decrease in the
 utility's tax liability to this state if the decrease is
 attributable to the exemption in Section 182.022(d), Tax Code, as
 added by this Act. An adjustment must be made effective at the same
 time as the decrease of tax liability or as soon after that decrease
 occurs as is reasonably practicable. The Public Utility Commission
 of Texas is not required to provide for an adjustment if the
 commission enters an order for the utility under Subchapter C or D,
 Chapter 36, Utilities Code, that accounts for any decrease in the
 utility's tax liability attributable to the exemption in Section
 182.022(d), Tax Code, as added by this Act. An adjustment is not a
 rate case under Subchapter C or D, Chapter 36, Utilities Code.
 (b)  As soon as practicable after the effective date of this
 Act, a retail electric provider, as defined by Section 31.002,
 Utilities Code, shall adjust the billing of a public school
 district customer to reflect any decrease in the retail electric
 provider's tax liability to this state if the decrease is
 attributable to the exemption in Section 182.022(d), Tax Code, as
 added by this Act. An adjustment must be made effective at the same
 time as the decrease of tax liability or as soon after that decrease
 occurs as is reasonably practicable.
 SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.